To convey a sense of place, good writers use not just their brains but also their legs. They visit the places where their characters lived. Last month, on a trip to Boston I did just that. Read more
Most people interpret George Orwell’s 1984 as a dystopian novel about authoritarianism. I see it as a satire about excessive politicization, a distinction with increasing relevance in America today. Read more
Books about political assassinations represent a grim if popular genre. After the near assassination of former President Trump, four books are well worth exploring or revisiting. Read more
Follow these tips. You may not become the next Tom Wolfe or Joan Didion, but you will become more competent and professional. Read more
Reporters failed to identify President Biden’s cognitive decline for many reasons. Sure, many were biased ideologically, but they failed for other reasons as well. Read more
Jim Jones should have been held to account long before the Jonestown massacre of 1978. Like other notorious con men and abusers, he got away with his frauds and crimes partly because officials were clueless or incompetent. When will documentary filmmakers set the record straight? Read more
Generative AI has a dirty little secret: Its content is often shallow, little or no better than data you can find on Google, Bing, or traditional search engines. Read more
I worked with David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon, among other smash-hit nonfiction books. When he was a staff writer, his office was around the corner from me and the other interns at The New Republic. Even for a newbie like me, it was difficult to avoid the conclusion David worked differently from others on staff.
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Journalists are an aging species. Yet one journalistic type may be said to be endangered: the one who courts controversy like the late Christopher Hitchens, Molly Ivins, and William F. Buckley, Jr. In a democracy, this is a shame. Read more
Last Saturday night, at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner President Biden urged reporters to follow his lead by covering what he wants them to cover. The problem with his plea was not that he made it. The problem would be if reporters heeded his advice. Read more
